The Demons of Kriya
by Afroza-IX
Summary: The Doctor takes Amy to the beautiful forest planet of Kriya, but something's not right. There are no animals to be seen and something is hiding, lurking among the shadows... Rated T to be safe, there will be violence later.
1. Kriya

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the characters related to the programme. The only things I own in this fanfic are Kriya and the Kriyan tribes. **

**A/N: So, my first proper Doctor Who fanfic. Based on a strange idea that popped into my head after watching Doctor Who yesterday. This fic is set before Rory joins Amy and the Doctor on their mad adventures, so quite early on in the series. Reviews and crits are welcomed. I'm afraid this is a short first chapter, but I'll try to make up for it in Chapter 2.  
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Chapter 1: Kriya

The Doctor poked his head round the Tardis door, a boyish grin plastered across his face. Having confirmed he had landed in the right place for once, he threw the double doors open and stepped out into the brilliant sunlight, shortly followed by Amy whose fiery red hair glittered as the sun's rays bounced off it. The Doctor beamed cheerfully and spread his arms out,

"Welcome to Kriya Amy." The Scottish red-head looked around herself in amazement. The place was covered in all manner of plant life; vividly coloured flowers bloomed in abundance and great trees spread their limbs and leaves out to create vast canopies of green above them, throwing dappled shadows on the luscious red grassed ground. They seemed to have landed in one of the only clearings,

"It's beautiful..." she breathed, spinning around, "Doctor, it's amazing!" She laughed joyously as she turned back to the Time Lord, "Are we going to explore? Oh please say we are."

"Well what else are we going to do? Taste the flowers?" he paused for a second, "Actually, the flowers are meant to be delicious..." he smacked himself in the forehead, "No – exploring, we're going exploring." Amy chuckled as the Doctor told himself off,

"You're a strange man Doctor." She told him, as if he hadn't heard it a million times before,

"Yes, I am." He waggled his finger as if for effect, "Strange but brilliant."

"Strange but brilliant." Amy agreed. The Time Lord grinned turning round to face his companion,

"Now, how about that exploring?"


	2. Enaan

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own Doctor Who or any of the characters related to the programme. The only things I own in this fanfic are Kriya and the Kriyan tribes.**

**A/N: Just under 3 times the size of Chapter 1. Here we are introduced to the first Kriyan character, I was staring at a horse and jockey statuette when I came up with this story so if you're wondering where the Kriyan's came from then there you go haha. Also I really wanted my 'aliens' to be animal based, I'm not totally sure why. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. Reviews and crits are welcomed.  
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Chapter 2: Enaan

The forest seemed to Amy to be never-ending, and truthfully it was, it covered the whole expanse of Kriya. The flora of the alien planet had provided the Scott with hundreds of surprises, most of the plants seemed to have a life all of their own, stretching out branches and vines as if waking up from a deep sleep. Some looked like Earth's average Venus fly-trap but were larger and snapped at the air continuously, impatiently awaiting their next meal. The Doctor too seemed fascinated by the flora of the planet even though he had obviously visited the place before,

"That's odd..." he murmured, breaking the tranquil silence, "...very odd..." Amy looked over to the Time Lord, who was circling a large tree trunk, examining it carefully as he went,

"What's odd?" she inquired, craning her neck as though that would help to explain to her,

"There are no birds nesting in this tree..." the Scott raised an eyebrow,

"Doctor. There are millions of trees around here; they're probably nesting somewhere else." She replied matter-of-factly, The Doctor stopped circling and poked his head around the tree trunk,

"Then why is there no bird song?" Now that she thought about it he was right. There hadn't been a hint of bird song since they had arrived on Kriya. It was a little unsettling, "And what about insects?" the Time Lord added,

"What about them?" Amy asked,

"Well, with heat like this you'd have thought there'd be insects swarming around the place." The Doctor stated, stepping out from behind the tree, "But there aren't. Don't you find that a little bit odd?"

"If you ask me this whole planet is odd." She replied, "But yes, I suppose so." The Time Lord stroked an invisible beard before shoving his hands in his pockets and pacing,

"Where are the Kriyan tribes when you need them?" he grumbled, "Think, Doctor, think!" he whacked the sides of his head with both hands in an attempt to resurface memories, "Come on, come on..." Amy raised an eyebrow at the Doctor's antics,

"Whacking yourself on the head is hardly-" she began,

"Ah ha!" the Scott was cut off by the Time Lord's exclamation of realisation, "Come on Amy!" he called, striding away on his bandy legs,

"Where are we going?" she shouted after him,

"To visit the natives!" _Of course we are.

* * *

_

Amy stared at the Doctor in bewilderment. She knew he was mad, but whinnying like a horse? That had to be a new level of insanity, even for him,

"Doctor? Are you alright?" she probed, slightly worried by his sudden ridiculous behaviour,

"Hush." He replied holding up a finger in front of her face without so much as looking at her. The Time Lord pulled his finger away and smirked, "There," he whispered, "do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Amy hissed. He held up a finger again,

"Shh, listen closely." She did as she was told. There it was. A faint noise in the distance, a whinnying replying to the Doctor's. Her eyes widened, "Hear it?" she nodded. "That Amy, is the leader of the nearest Kriyan tribe. By the sound of his reply I'd guess the Hatha tribe." He grinned and whinnied again, receiving another reply, "Yes, definitely the Hathan leader, and he remembers me! Brilliant!"

"A horse?" Amy asked in disbelief,

"Always expect the unexpected. Besides he isn't a horse." The Doctor replied tramping off in the direction of the whinny,

"If he's not a horse then what is he?" the Scott called after him as she ran to catch up.

* * *

"You're having a laugh." Amy muttered as she saw the Hathan leader stood before her,

"No, I'm pretty sure I'm being completely serious." She turned to the Doctor, eyes wide in disbelief,

"A _centaur_?" The Time Lord rolled his eyes,

"You humans need to be more open minded! Come on, the myth had to have come from somewhere!" he said, making various hand gestures to emphasise his point, "Somewhere along the line a Kriyan stumbled through a hole in space-time, or something to that effect, and ended up on Earth. Someone saw him, or her, and wrote about it, or told their friends and the centaur was born. Obviously since it was only one Kriyan it quickly died out and no one had a decent explanation so they came up with ridiculous myths about it or forgot about it completely." He panted heavily as he finished his account and took a deep breath before continuing, "Now that you've finished questioning, allow me to introduce you. Amy, this is Enaan, leader of the Hatha tribe. Enaan, my friend Amy." Enaan, Amy thought, looked young to be a leader. His human face looked no older than twenty-five. He had long chestnut brown hair which was wild and unruly, with gorgeous ruby feathers tied into it on the right-hand side. On his chest was painted a red-brown tribal tattoo, which spread to his arm and weaved down to his hand, where it came to an abrupt halt before his fingers. His horse body had matching chestnut brown fur and tail, which also had one feather tied into it about halfway down its length. His eyes were of a muddy brown, soft and kind, however, like the Doctor, they showed signs of wisdom and age. Enaan nodded at Amy quickly and then turned to the Doctor,

"We have no time for further formalities; we need to return to the tribe, my friend. It is not safe here and I fear the tribe will be unsafe without me." This piqued the Time Lord's interest,

"Why isn't it safe here?" he questioned,

"I cannot explain here in the open. When we return to the Hathans I shall tell you." And with that the Kriyan pulled a curious Doctor and a bemused Amy onto his back and galloped into the forest.


	3. Demons

**Disclaimer: ****I do not own Doctor Who or any of the characters related to the programme. The only things I own in this fanfic are Kriya and the Kriyan tribes.**

**A/N: Again, not an amazingly long chapter I'm afraid. But hopefully the next will be longer. I won't be updating for a while due to important GCSE exams which will decide if I can study the subjects I want to next year. Please bear with me. Until then, enjoy this. I may make a little information page about theKriyans and Kriya later so that may be something to look out for. Please do review, all reviews and crits are welcomed with open arms.  
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Chapter 3: Demons

Amy had never ridden a horse before, and following the rough ride on Enaan's back, she never wanted to again. She cursed under her breath as she was thrown this way and that, often in danger of falling off and landing headfirst in a pile of leaves. The Doctor on the other hand was relishing the pace, beaming like a child as the wind ruffled his already unruly hair,

"Isn't this fantastic?" he called joyously to Amy, who was at this point clinging desperately to the Kriyan's flank to prevent herself from being thrown into the undergrowth,

"No!" she screamed back as the air whipped past her face, "It most certainly isn't!"

"Lighten up Amy!" The Time Lord laughed, feeling her glare holes into the back of his head,

"How am I supposed to lighten up when I'm being thrown around like-" the Scott was cut off as she was hurled from Enaan's back and into a nearby tree,

"Ah," the Doctor murmured upon seeing her propelled into the undergrowth and hearing a loud thud, "that could be an issue."

* * *

Amy groaned as she became aware of a throbbing sensation at the front of her head. Slowly her senses came back to her. First sound – the rustling of leaves and whispering of voices and the soft crackle of a fire. Then smell – the sweetness of flowers in full bloom mingling with the smell of burning wood. Then touch – the dryness of the leaves beneath her and the warmth of the fire against her skin. Then, finally, her eyes fluttered open and she saw the Doctor's blurred face grinning down at her,

"Amy!" she winced at his shout as she sat up,

"Doctor, keep it down would you? My head feels like it's been trampled by a herd of elephants." The Time Lord smiled sheepishly,

"Sorry," he apologised, rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, "I'm just happy you're awake at last."

"At last?" the Doctor whistled and looked anywhere but in Amy's direction, "Doctor. How long have I been out?" she demanded,

"A few hours." The Scott raised an eyebrow, "Okay, nearly a day." She rolled her eyes and sighed,

"Next time give me a fair warning that we're going to be riding a centaur bareback at twenty miles an hour. Then I might be able to _stay on_." He let out a small snigger before grabbing her arm and pulling her up of the ground,

"Come on Amy, it's time for you to meet the rest of the tribe."

* * *

The Hathan tribe was far smaller than Amy had envisaged. Somehow she had always thought of a tribe as being a rather large group, about enough to fill a small town. But this was a far cry from the size she had imagined. There were barely enough Kriyans to fill a small village, let alone a small town. However, despite the size of the tribe, the Scott still found it extremely difficult to remember all of their names. The Doctor introduced her to them one by one, stating each Hathan's name and rank in the tribe, explaining to Amy any ranks she may not be familiar with. She nodded at each of them politely as they were introduced, trying desperately to remember their names, or at least their ranks, as she did so. But their names were all so foreign to her; it made them difficult to commit to memory. The thudding headache she had wasn't exactly doing much to help either.

* * *

The introductions were over quickly and, as ever, the Doctor was soon asking questions,

"So, Enaan, you said it isn't safe out in the forest." The Hathan leader nodded, a grave expression on his face, "Why?"

"The forest is overrun with demons." Enaan replied simply, "They feast on all flesh." Amy raised an eyebrow and looked to the Time Lord who was standing beside her,

"_Demons?_" she whispered. The Doctor sighed,

"Keep an open mind Amy. There's always a perfectly reasonable explanation." He replied through gritted teeth, "Demons you say?" the Hathan leader nodded again,

"Demons." He confirmed,

"So, what do these demons look like exactly?"


	4. Loss and Realisation

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the related characters. The only things I own in this fic are Kriya, the Kriyans, the 'demons' and their homeworlds.**

**A/N: I finished this sooner than I expected. The chances are the next chapter will take a lot longer to complete due to important exams so bear with me. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Also I want to thank those of you who have added this to your story alert or favourites and Xbakiyalo and TaylorTheWeird for your reviews. Thank you all, I really appreciate it. You guys keep me going. Reviews and crits are welcome.  
**

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Chapter 4: Loss and Realisation

Amy dumped herself unceremoniously in a pile of leaves next to the Doctor as he pondered Enaan's description of the demons. A series of loud crunches from the brittle leaves pulled him momentarily out of thought and he gave his companion a short sharp glare - at which she grinned awkwardly - before picking back up on his trail of thought. Amy too considered the Hathan leader's descriptions. Pure black owls with a humungous wingspan, razor-sharp talons and blood-red eyes, whose screech could shatter bone and who could drift noiselessly through the air. Then Enaan had gone on to describe dogs with similar qualities; jet-black fur, blood-red eyes, muscular bodies ad razor-sharp teeth and claws, who could silently stalk their prey. The Scott shuddered as she realised how easily one of these 'demons' could sneak up on her. One could be above or behind her now and she'd never know. The very thought made her blood run cold. She quickly turned her mind to other things, like remembering the names of the Hathans, however the Doctor's habit of thinking out loud shattered her hopes of distraction,

"These demons sound familiar." He murmured, "I can't think why though. I don't remember encountering them before... mind you my memory is a little rusty..." there was a short pause, "Amy!" the Time Lord called suddenly, her heart skipped a beat, "Do these descriptions make you think of anything?"

"Other than impending doom?" she asked sardonically. He fixed her with a harsh glower, "Not really... although..."

"What Amy?" he asked impatiently, "What are you thinking of?" It was Amy's turn to give the Doctor a sharp glare. He silenced and looked at her apologetically,

"Well, you know you were saying about the Kriyans and centaurs?" the Time Lord wasn't quite sure where this was going, but he nodded, "Maybe it's a similar thing with these demons. I mean I remember reading about Strix and Hellhounds once, and Enaan's descriptions are almost identical to their descriptions." She explained, "The Strix were supposed to be man-eating owls and Hellhounds were supposed to appear before someone died, or something like that anyway." A grin slowly spread across the Doctor's face,

"Brilliant! You're brilliant Amy; did I ever tell you that?" He almost squealed grabbing her head and kissing her on the forehead, leaving her slightly stunned, "Of course, why didn't I think of that? Oh Amy, you're a genius!" he shouted animatedly,

"Okay... I'm not sure I'd go quite that far..." she murmured, "Brilliant maybe, but genius is your area of expertise." The Doctor continued his excitable drivelling, oblivious to Amy's sarcastic remark,

"The Strix and the Hellhounds were merely mistaken alien life forms. But which alien life forms?" he paused for all of two seconds before continuing, "They must be from dark planets, with plenty of creatures that they could eat. But which planets? Which life forms are they?" he began to become frustrated with himself again, "Think, think, think!" His companion sighed heavily. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Shortly after the Doctor had begun obsessively trying to figure out the identities of the creatures Enaan had described to them, Amy decided it would be a good idea to get out of his way and sit with the Hathans instead. She soon realised that sitting with a group of Kriyans was even more uncomfortable than sitting alone with a Time Lord - at least the Doctor looked completely human. Despite the Hathans welcoming her and encouraging her to join them she felt completely out of place. So she sat and watched them, like a wildlife expert observing the behaviour of a species. They stood around the fire telling stories and eating and laughing, offering some of everything they ate to the forest as thanks for its protection and provision. The forest, Amy realised, was in essence the Kriyans' God and they treated it as so. They thanked the forest for everything, told stories of how it came to be and were respectful to it. She smiled sadly. How could something so awful happen to such a peaceful people?

* * *

Suddenly from the distance there came a piercing screech and all the happiness and serenity vanished from the camp in an instant. They knew that screech all too well. Amy jumped up from where she sat as one of the warriors, who the Scott recognised from her introductions as Aya, burst through the bushes, her beautiful blonde hair matted and scraggly and her dappled grey fur covered in scratches and blood. The Kriyan's face was pallid and haunted and she panted heavily as she slowed to a stop. Enaan whinnied anxiously and trotted swiftly over to her talking to her before motioning for the healer of the tribe to come and check Aya over,

"What happened?" Amy asked worriedly. The Hathan leader came over to her,

"She and her brother were attacked by an owl demon." He murmured as he took her to one side, "It destroyed Ezekiel before her eyes." He shook his head sadly, "She will be haunted by that for the rest of her life. Most of the blood on Aya was her brother's not her's; he died saving her." The Scott gasped,

"But that's awful." All Enaan could do was nod in agreement,

"We have lost another comrade to the demons. I only pray that we do not lose any more."

* * *

The Doctor's trail of thoughts was interrupted once again, this time by an ear splitting screech which echoed through the forest. He quickly realised it could only be one thing. The Strix, or whatever life form it really was and that meant carnage. The Time Lord jumped up from where he was standing and ran towards the camp. He knew now. God how had he been so stupid? How had he missed it? There was no point worrying about that now, he knew what they were, the demons, the Strix and the Hellhounds. He _knew_ and it wasn't good. It wasn't good at all.


	5. Lost

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the related characters. The only things in this fanfic that belong to me are Kriya, the Kriyans, the Kol and the Talonis**.

**A/N: Another chapter finished. I'm pretty pleased with this one. If you guys ever have any ideas about what you want me to include go ahead and tell me. I am not writing 11/Amy though. Oh, has anyone else played The Adventure Games yet? I love them already! I've nearly finished City of the Daleks and I can't wait for the next one. If only my laptop would load them properly. Anyway enjoy, reviews and crits are always welcome. Especially crits.**

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Chapter 5: Lost

"Amy!" the Doctor shouted as he burst from the undergrowth, tripping into a roll as he emerged. Enaan turned to face him and watched as he leaped from the ground, held Amy by the shoulders and checked her over for possible injuries,

"Doctor, I'm fine." She told him flatly, lifting his hands from her shoulders, "The demon didn't attack us." The Scott looked to Aya subconsciously. The Time Lord followed her gaze and saw the warrior shaking. He saw the blood and the scratches and the hopelessness and fear that filled her eyes. Then he looked to the Hathan leader,

"Ezekiel was killed protecting her." The Kriyan murmured in reply to the Doctor's questioning look, "Aya was lucky."

"Lucky." The Time Lord rolled the word over his tongue. In a way, Aya was lucky, to have survived the attack. Yet at the same time it was almost worse to have survived, to know that another died while you survived, saving you no less. That feeling ate you up inside. He knew – all too well. No, he wouldn't call the warrior lucky. Not at all.

* * *

"Wait, wait!" the Doctor piped up suddenly, remembering why he had come back into the camp in the first place, "I know what the demons are!" Amy gave him a questioning look,

"But you said—" she began

"Yes, yes," he interrupted, "I know what I said. New body, rusty memory. It's like when you humans get old, you start to forget things." The Scott crossed her arms and let out a small humph, "Sorry," he apologised quickly, "getting back to my point here. I _know_ what the demons are."

"And?" his companion enquired,

"It isn't good." The Time Lord replied matter-of-factly, "The owl demons, Strix - whatever you care to call them – are actually a race called the Kol. They're renowned on their homeworld, for their ruthless killing methods and intelligence. No one has been able to pinpoint a roost of Kol. Ever. They swoop in, slaughter and disappear without a trace."

"Great." Amy groaned sarcastically, "So what about the Hellhounds or whatever they are?"

"I was just getting to that." the Doctor responded, "They are a race known as the Talonis. Renowned for—"

"Ruthless killing?" his companion interjected,

"Something like that yes, and their strength. The Talonis are very strong. Another race no one has ever managed to find the lair of. They aren't as intelligent as the Kol mind, but their anatomy compensates. They can solidify at will. Like ghosts if you will, able to pass through things. So they can easily cover their tracks. Except you can still see them and you don't get a chill when they pass through you. Sometimes you end up dead, but that's beside the point."

"Well, that's just great isn't it?" she grumbled, forgetting for a moment the happenings of the last few minutes, "And we're meant to find these creatures how exactly?" The Time Lord's reply did not satisfy the Scott in the slightest,

"I don't know, but I'm sure we'll come up with something." He delved into his pocket and produced his sonic screwdriver. The Scott listened as the familiar buzzing sound filled the air,

"What are you doing?" Amy asked, turning her head to one side as if somehow it would clarify things,

"I'm checking the air for any Kol or Talonis residue." The Doctor answered, checking the device and giving it a quick twirl before depositing it back in his pocket,

"Of course, how could I be so stupid?" his companion remarked sarcastically, "Well?"

"Nothing." He replied, trying not to sound disappointed, "Absolutely nothing. Zilch, nada -"

"Yes okay, we get the idea." The Scott butted in irritably, "So, what now?" The Time Lord looked over to his companion, wise eyes cold and serious,

"Now, Amy, I go to find where Aya was attacked, while you stay here safe and sound."

"No. I'm coming with you." She retorted determinedly, folding her arms across her chest in a childish manner, "I want to find those things just as much as you do." The Doctor was about to interject when she cut him off again, "Besides, if the demons can move silently and become all ghostly it's not really safe anywhere, is it?"

* * *

The Doctor pushed through the dense undergrowth, narrowly avoiding a large Venus fly-trap which snapped at his ankles and tore one of his trouser legs. He was followed by a rather disgruntled Amy,

"What do you mean we're lost?" she snapped irritably, "You said you knew this place like the back of your hand!"

"Yes, well, new body and all." He replied flustered, "It seems I don't know the back of my hand quite as well as I used to." The Time Lord gave her an embarrassed grin,

"Meaning, you've forgotten." His companion responded, raising a questioning eyebrow,

"Not so much forgotten as, can't quite dredge up the memory." he held his finger up as he corrected her,

"So you have forgotten." He avoided making eye contact and instead went to looking about himself in the hope that something would trigger a memory,

"Yes." He replied, surprisingly calm about the ordeal, "Yes I have."

"Well that's just dandy isn't it?" she groaned tetchily, "We're lost on a forest planet with man eating demons that you can't hear until it's too late on the loose."

"Yes, I think that just about sums up the situation." The Doctor murmured, "But," he added, "if you hadn't been so insistent on coming with me _you_ wouldn't be lost."

"Maybe," Amy replied, a sly smirk on her face, "but _you_ would, and how would that help the Kriyans?" The Time Lord muttered something under his breath,

"Alright Miss Amelia _Genius _Pond, where's the attack site?" the smirk dissolved from her face in an instant, "You see, it's not like you being here is exactly helping." The Scott pointed behind him, apparently speechless, "What _are_ you gawping at?" She pointed again,

"D-doctor..." Her voice was higher than usual, fear pushing it a few semi-tones up. The Time Lord turned around to see a slathering, jet black dog with cold, red eyes glaring at them. Its muscular frame was poised to leap and its lips were drawn back in a snarl. He looked to Amy,

"Run!" he shouted at her. She didn't need telling twice.


	6. Thrill of the Chase

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the related characters. I am purely borrowing them for my fanfiction.**

**A/N: Chapter 6 at last. I've been working on this since I uploaded the last chapter, writing and rewriting because what I wrote didn't sound right or was stupid. Hopefully this will live up to your expectations! Xbakiyalo posed the question of how the Doctor and Amy were going to be able to outrun a Talonis. Well, here's the answer! Also I tried writing from the Talonis' point of view, I'm not sure how well it worked. Enjoy!**

**Reviews and crits are, as ever, welcomed with open arms.  
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**Thanks to everyone who has faved, added to subscriptions and reviewed. Especially Xbakiyalo - your reviews are awesome and are spurring me on! xx  
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Chapter 6: Thrill of the Chase

Amy ran as fast as her legs could carry her, the thought of the huge murderous dog following them spurring her on as she battled through the scrub. Her heart hammered wildly in her chest and she could barely hear above the blood pounding in her ears,

"Doctor!" she screamed back at the Time Lord, "I don't know how long I can keep this up!" The Doctor picked up his pace so that he was running next to his companion,

"Well, I'm afraid you're going to have to keep it up for a little while yet." He told her, sneaking a quick glance back at the Talonis, whose muscular form was simply passing through the undergrowth which had been slowing them down, "The Talonis can pass through objects remember? Even if we did hide it has an amazing sense of smell –"

"And you didn't think to mention this earlier why?" Amy's face was pink with rage and heat,

"It's a dog. I thought that was a given." He called back simply,

"Even so—"

"Amy, we have to keep going, if that thing passes through you, you're dead. Understand? I might, _might_, survive, but you would die instantly and I will not let that happen." His companion silenced and put all of her effort into running. She could hear the Talonis getting closer, she could hear its baying as it leaped through all the things she and the Doctor had been forced to skip round. She could smell its rank breath and in that instant she was convinced that it would catch them. An image of the beast tearing into the Doctor flashed across her mind and she nearly stopped with the shudder that rippled through her body. Yet, somehow, she managed to keep going, her legs pounding relentlessly against the ground.

* * *

The thrill of the chase coursed through the Talonis' veins. The fur-tops were pathetic, they were slowing already - the humidity of the forest was getting to them. Fools. They were imprudent to think they could outrun such a great predator as he. He could pass through the obstacles which hindered them with ease. It was merely second nature to him. He sized up his victims. The first was a female, quite tall in stature and he could smell the panic ripe on her. The second was a male, taller and altogether calmer about the predicament he was in. The Talonis could still smell a little panic on him, but only a little. He snorted in disgust and looked back to the female. She was no longer paying attention to her surroundings. He licked his lips. She would be the first to fall. She would be his first victim.

* * *

Amy gritted her teeth as she continued to run, sharp pains jabbing at her chest as she forced herself on. The Talonis was closer now, so close that she could nearly feel the heat of its breath on the back of her neck. She didn't dare look back. The Doctor looked as though he was having a little less trouble. Two hearts came in handy in this sort of situation she supposed, although two sets of lungs would have been handy too. Amy was considering the possibility that the Time Lord might indeed have a second set of lungs when she tripped, a lump rising in her throat as she scrambled to stand again. The Talonis stood watching her, inwardly mocking her struggle,

"Amy!" the Doctor shouted, skidding as he turned to run towards her, both his hearts working overtime, "Amy!" The Time Lord stopped as the dog demon snarled and slammed a threatening paw down on the ground, just shy of the Scott's head. The paw was just the encouragement Amy needed to scramble to her feet. A howl of elation filled the forest. She wasn't going to be able to get far, and the Talonis knew it,

"Doctor!" she yelled, her voice strained with fear and uncertainty as she looked at the huge black dog, which was now eyeing her up as though she were a gourmet meal on a silver platter,

"Run!" he screamed back, "Amy, you have to run!" She did as she was told.

* * *

The Doctor could only watch in horror as the Talonis sprang over Amy's head, skidding just long enough for her to start an escape before it swiped a paw at her. The Scott screamed in pain as claws met flesh. The strength of the impact threw her to one side and she landed on the ground with a sickening thud. He screamed her name as her body hit the ground, feeling – for the first time in years – utterly powerless to help his companion. He had no weapon to protect Amy with. He had always been against those. No violence. Talk first then resolve things without killing the aliens later. That's how he did things. But the Talonis weren't exactly the talking type. Momentarily distracted by this trail of thought, the Doctor didn't notice as the Talonis began to stalk towards Amy's slumped form, licking its lips hungrily. What he did notice, however, was a loud thud, not unlike the one he had heard when his companion had impacted with the ground earlier. In that moment the Time Lord was convinced that the thud was just that. His companion being batted around like some sort of toy. Then he heard the yelp. Not a human yelp. The kind of yelp a dog makes when you step on its tail. He looked up to see the Talonis snarling at a new adversary.

* * *

Aya glowered frostily at the dog demon, noting with satisfaction the arrowhead which had pierced the beast's shoulder. A fierce hatred burned intensely within the Kriyan. A hatred fuelled powerfully by the death of her brother. The demons were responsible for the deaths of hundreds of her race. Now she would repay them by killing one of their own.


	7. Guilty Conscience

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the related characters. I only own: Kriya, the Kriyans, the Talonis, the Kol and their homeworlds.  
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**Oh no, Series 5 is at an end! At least the Adventure Games will keep me occupied for a while. Anyway, reviews and crits are welcomed as ever. Also I apologise for the wait, I wasn't sure how to continue for a while so I left it until I could think up a way to continue with the story. This chapter jumps between points of view quite a lot so sorry for that if it annoys or confuses anyone. I'm curious as to where you guys think this is going and where you'd like it to go, so please tell me! I'd like to hear suggestions. Thanks as ever to my regular reviewers and to all those who are faving and adding to subscriptions - I really appreciate it and without you this story wouldn't keep going!  
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Chapter 7: Guilty Conscience

A searing pain pulsed through the open wound in Amy's side where the Talonis' claws had ripped through the flesh. She tensed as she heard the beast's paws thudding dully against the ground, getting closer and closer. There was no way the Doctor could save her. Not from this thing. He had said it himself, they were ruthless killers, and there was only a slight chance that he'd survive should it decide to pass through him. She braced herself for another blow – the final blow. But it never came. There was however, a loud thud, followed by a dog-like yelp and a low, throaty snarl. Amy didn't have the strength to lift herself up and see what had happened. But something told her they were still in deep water, and it was about to get deeper.

* * *

The Talonis returned Aya's stony glare as the pair began to circle each other. The Kriyan's hooves thumping softly against the ground while the creature's paws made no sound at all. Saliva frothed from the dog demon's mouth, spraying in a thousand different directions as it bayed ferociously. All the time its eyes fixed on the Hathan warrior. All the time its intentions the same. Kill. Feed. Aya could feel the Talonis' bloodlust in the air, cold and merciless. An image of Ezekiel in his last moments sprang to mind. The ruthlessness of the owl demon as it tore the flesh from his bones, his screams as he was rendered limb from limb. And with the image came a fierce and fiery hatred and a new and stronger resolve. Aya would not go down without a fight, and if that was what it would take for just one of the demons to be slain then so be it.

* * *

The Doctor fidgeted, not sure what he should do. No. He knew what he should do, he just wasn't entirely certain of how he should go about it. Amy needed help and the Time Lord intended to give it to her. But first he needed to find some way of getting past the Talonis without distracting it from Aya. He felt a twinge of guilt in his gut. He had to leave the warrior to that beast's wrath if he were to get to his companion and help her. Though he knew that the Kriyan wanted to stand and fight, he didn't like allowing it. Not one bit. The Hathan warrior didn't stand a chance against the dog demon. Not with a bow and arrows, not with a sword – not with any weapon the Kriyan people had devised. It was far too powerful and bloodthirsty to be defeated by what it would consider flimsy instruments. Besides, it could materialise at will. Aya's first hit had been lucky. She had caught it off-guard. The Time Lord knew all too well that such an opportunity was unlikely to present itself again. Inhaling deeply and mumbling sorry under his breath, he ran towards Amy as quietly as he could manage. The Doctor realised now, both thankfully and uncomfortably, that the Talonis was unlikely to be distracted. It had an adversary in its sights. One which had angered it. And an angry Talonis was most definitely a deadly one.

* * *

Stupid, foolish Kriyan. The Talonis snorted as it leered at her, his eyes blazing. She thought she could take him on and defeat him. She thought she could prevent him from feeding. No. He would have his prey. There was no doubt about that. He would feed on the naive warrior who thought she could penetrate his hide again and then he would feed on the fur-tops. One by one he would pick them off, tearing into their succulent flesh and devouring every morsel. He would savour every drop of blood and every tiny fibre of meat. He would leave no trace of the meat they once had on them, just a pile of bones, picked clean by his teeth and claws. The very thought tingled his taste buds and made his mouth water. Yes. He would kill all three and it would be a good day. A very good day indeed.

* * *

"Amy!" The Doctor hissed as he reached her, his voice wavering a little with worry. She groaned and lifted her head from the ground slightly,

"Doctor?" He let out a small sigh of relief upon hearing her rasping voice and sidled around so that he was facing her. Her face was, he noted with some concern, remarkably pale – even more so than usual – and her eyes were wide and fearful. He didn't blame her for being scared. He was too, though he would never admit it. Amy closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as another sharp pain pulsed through the gashes on her side, letting out a mumbled exclamation of pain,

"Hush now Amy," The Time Lord told his companion softly, gently moving her arm so that it didn't obstruct his view of the wound, "let me see that." She silenced as she was told to and stared at him as he inspected the damage. _It probably looks and feels far worse than it is._ She thought, or at least that was what she hoped. Pulling his sonic screwdriver from his pocket the Doctor scanned over the wound, studying the readings carefully, "Not infected..." he murmured, his voice almost a whisper, "not yet at least... so we can clean that up and dress it with... something..." He examined the readings again, "No unusual residue... except... ah..."

"Doctor?" Amy inquired worriedly, staring wide-eyed at the Time Lord,

"Don't be alarmed," he began, "but I think you may have a slight amount of poison in your bloodstream." Her eyes widened further,

"Don't be alarmed!" she squeaked incredulously, "You're saying I may have been poisoned and you're telling me not to be alarmed!"

"Calm down Amy." He instructed her, "It's not a deadly poison – not in small doses at any rate – but it may cause you to hallucinate a little. All right?"

"Well not really..." the Scott replied, "but I suppose so." The Doctor broke into a smile,

"Atta girl Amy." She returned his smile meekly, but she still didn't have the strength to lift herself from the ground. The Time Lord could see that without her even trying. A loud growl reminded the pair of the situation they were in. It wasn't safe here, "Amy, we need to move you somewhere safer." She nodded to show that she understood. Nowhere was truly safe and she knew that, but she just didn't have the strength to argue.

* * *

The Talonis snarled ferociously as it leaped at Aya, fangs bared and claws out, ready to strike. She too was ready, an arrow knocked back on her bow so that, at any given moment, she could let fly the arrow and take down the demon. The Kriyan poised herself as the beast flew through the air towards her, preparing to sink the arrow into its chest. The beast was mere centimetres from her face when she let the arrow fly from her bow. But the weapon did no damage to creature at all. Instead it passed through the beast, careered through the air and landed with a dull thud in the ground behind it.


	8. Reality Check

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who or any of the related characters. I do however own: The Talonis, the Kol, the Kriyans and Kriya**

**A/N: So another new chapter. I felt the need to get a new one uploaded. I'm afraid it isn't a very long chapter, but it just seemed like a good place to leave it. I'll get more done soon. Thanks to everyone who reviews, faves, and adds this story to their alerts. It's good to see that people are enjoying it! Reviews and crits are welcomed as ever.  
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Chapter 8: Reality Check

The Doctor snuck a glance at Aya and the Talonis and instantly regretted it. His stomach knotted as the Kriyan's arrow whistled through the air and embedded itself in the ground. He knew what was coming next and he couldn't watch,

"Can you get up?" he asked Amy, attempting to distract himself from the carnage that was about to unfold before him. She shook her head slowly, "Right... put your arm round my shoulder... yes that's it, just like that." There was a sudden and unmistakeable crack,

"W-what was that?" the Scott asked worriedly as the Time Lord prepared to lift her off the ground. He avoided the question completely,

"This might hurt a little so bear with it Amy." He told her pulling her up. She inhaled sharply, "Just grit your teeth and bear with it, we'll have you somewhere safer soon." She nodded, following the Doctor's lead as he began to walk in the general direction – or what he hoped was the general direction – of the Hathan camp.

The Talonis howled joyously. It had her, the female Kriyan was his. It revelled in snapping the bones of its prey. One by one he cracked the bones in her legs with his paws so that she could not escape. He did this slowly, taking pleasure in her suffering as she writhed and tried to lash out, her features contorted in pain. He loved it when his prey tried to fight back, when he could see the pain in their eyes and faces. But this one was angry too, and that made it all the more pleasurable. Oh if he could have done this on his home world. He placed a large paw on the Kriyan's horse shoulder blades and leant down on it, slowly but surely snapping the bone. Then he licked his lips as he moved his head towards her flank, saliva dripping from his mouth.

Amy suddenly tightened her grip on the Doctor, her eyes darting back and forth nervously,

"Doctor, they're everywhere. Oh God they're everywhere." He took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes,

"Who are everywhere Amy?" She stared at him as though he were completely mad,

"What do you mean who are everywhere? Can't you see them, the Talonis and the Kol? They're _everywhere_." He looked around himself,

"Amy, look at me." The Scott's eyes scanned the area uneasily before finally settling on the Time Lord's face, "Now listen to me Amy. There's nothing there. You're hallucinating; there are no Talonis or Kol here."

"But—" she began worriedly, only to be silenced as he put a finger on her lips,

"But nothing. You're hallucinating Amy. There's nothing to be afraid of here. Okay?" Amy nodded in response, still not completely convinced. She could see them in the trees and undergrowth, fangs and talons ready, blood red eyes staring at her – into her. They seemed so real. How could they just not be there? It didn't seem possible. But she trusted the Doctor. Surely he wouldn't just tell her that to calm her. He had to be telling the truth,

"You're sure they aren't here?" she murmured, hands gripping the Time Lord's wrists nervously,

"Yes." He smiled reassuringly, "It's fine Amy, not a Talonis or Kol in sight." Slowly she loosened her grip on his wrists and took a deep breath. Then she heard the scream.

The smile disappeared off the Doctor's face in an instant. That scream. Oh God, that scream. He had known it would come eventually, but to actually hear it was torture. He could have helped her. He could have saved her. But he didn't. He left her to die. He was pulled suddenly from his trail of thoughts as Amy grabbed his wrist again,

"D-doctor?" her voice wavered with fear, "I heard a scream... was that—?"

"Real." He replied flatly, "It was real." And God knew he wished it wasn't. But he couldn't stop to think about it. He had to get his companion somewhere safer and quickly. Otherwise the scream would be the least of his worries.

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**Sorry to any Aya fans... I just had to, so I could mess with the Doctor's conscience and make the story a little more exciting. Sorry! Please don't shoot D: **


	9. Bone Yard

**Disclaimer: I do not own Doctor Who yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah, you guys know the drill.**

**A/N: First of all I apologise for the very long wait. My laptop decided it was going to die and was broken for just over a month. I had no way of getting to my documents or editing them. I had the main computer, however this chapter had already been started on my laptop and I had no intention of re-writing what I had written. Secondly I apologise for the breifness of the chapter. I promise you the next will be longer than this. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed, favourited and added this story to their alerts so far. I really appreciate it and I hope I haven't disappointed you with this chapter.  
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Chapter 9: Bone Yard

Hearts pounding, the Doctor ushered Amy, through the trees, desperate to find his way back to the Hathan camp before the Kol and Talonis really did turn up. He still felt terribly guilty about what had happened to Aya, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He would have plenty time to worry about that later, but only if he could find somewhere safe and stop the 'demons' from wreaking carnage. The Time Lord didn't like having to move his companion around like this, not while she was injured the way she was. Fresh blood still trickled from the wound, though the flow was slowing considerably, and he was sure that the gashes were only part of the problem. There was no way she could have been thrown across the clearing like that without sustaining some other damage. Suddenly she stopped again, shaking as she stared ahead,

"Amy," he pleaded, "we have to get you somewhere safer. Please."

"B-but Doctor..." she began, the tremors causing her voice to tremble. He sighed, rubbing his temples,

"There's nothing there." He told her gently, looking up to realise that there was, in fact, something in front of them, and a rather large something at that, "Ah..." he breathed upon seeing it, "Never mind."

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Looming before them was a pile of bloodied bones. Some were picked clean of all flesh, but sticking out of the heap Amy could see some which still had globules of flesh and skin hanging from them. Gruesome images flashed before her eyes, like something out of a horror film and she fought to keep herself from emptying the contents of her stomach over the floor. It made her sick to the pit of her stomach. The Doctor, she noticed just stared at the bones. He stared and stared and stared, anger seeming to seep from him more and more with each passing second. His wrath was something she was now familiar with but she was sure she would never get used to it. He was angered and upset at the thought of any being capable of destroying or harming another and right now, even from behind, he looked ready to explode. When they finally encountered the Kol and Talonis he would not hesitate to make his fury known to all of them. How he would stop them she wasn't certain, but he would find a way. He always did.

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"They couldn't even have a proper burial." The Doctor muttered as he stared at the pile of bones before him, glowering so harshly that Amy was convinced he would set them on fire. How many had the Kol and Talonis killed? There were other Kriyan tribes too, he remembered. But where were they? Surely, through all their running they would have bumped into at least one other tribe or tribe member? Though, thinking about it, Enaan had said that it was no longer safe. It was the first thing the Hathan leader had told him. Perhaps the other tribes had also realised this? Yet the bones and flesh in front of him suggested otherwise. They couldn't have all been picked off from the Hathan tribe. There had to be others who were hit just as hard, some maybe even harder. Now the Time Lord had new insight. There was definitely no specific target, the Kol and Talonis were picking off anything that came their way. They were here to feed. Nowhere was safe. His stomach knotted at the very idea,

"Come on Amy." He murmured, his voice doing little to reveal his true anger, "We need to find somewhere safer. Now. The Talonis will not give up so quickly." His companion didn't argue, she merely allowed herself to be lead away by him. She had no desire to stay here in this godforsaken bone yard.


End file.
